Impact Of Supplementary Schools On Pupils’ Attainment

1 Research Report DCSF-RR210 Uvanney Maylor, Katie Glass, Tozun Issa,Kuyok Abol Kuyok, Sarah Minty, Anthea Rose and Alistair Ross: Institute for Policy Studies in Education, London Metropolitan University Emily Tanner, Steven Finch, Natalie Low, Eleanor Taylor and Sarah Tipping: National Centre for Social Research Susan Purdon: Bryson Purdon Social Research An Investigation Into What Factors Contribute To Educational ImprovementsImpact Of Supplementary Schools On Pupils Attainment 3 Impact Of Supplementary Schools On Pupils Attainment : An Investigation Into What Factors Contribute To Educational Improvements Uvanney Maylor, Katie Glass, Tozun Issa, Kuyok Abol Kuyok, Sarah Minty, Anthea Rose and Alistair Ross: Institute for Policy Studies in Education, London Metropolitan University Emily Tanner, Steven Finch, Natalie Low, Eleanor Taylor and Sarah Tipping: National Centre for Social Research Susan Purdon: Bryson Purdon Social Research London Metropolitan University 2010 ISBN 978-1-84775-667-1 February 2010 The views expressed in this report are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

2 5 Acknowledgements We would like to express our gratitude to all those who have in any way contributed to this research. We are especially grateful to all the Supplementary school headteachers (survey and case study), teachers, pupils, parents, mainstream school staff, community group and local authority representatives, without whom this study would not have been possible. We would like to thank the steering group for guiding this research: Tammy Campbell, Geoff Brown, Liz Ison, Mary Simon-Hart at the DCSF, Denise Barrows (Paul Hamlyn Foundation), Rosemarie Ramsay (Mount Zion), Carole Berry (Lewisham) and Kelly Saini Badwal (National Resource Centre for Supplementary Schools , NRC Continyou). Thanks are also due to Kelly Saini Badwal and staff at the NRC for their additional help in providing the survey sample.

3 Finally, the research team would like to thank staff in the Telephone Unit at NatCen for carrying out survey interviews on the study and in the Operations Department for their work in preparing the survey data for analysis, and Zuleika Candan (Project Administrator at IPSE) for her invaluable support on this project. 7 Contents Acknowledgements .. 5 Tables .. 8 Executive 9 Introduction .. 14 1 Research 15 2 Literature 27 3 Overview of Supplementary school 47 4 Aims and purposes of Supplementary 64 5 Organisation Issues .. 73 6 Costs and Funding .. 77 7 Teaching Staff .. 84 8 Teaching and Learning .. 96 9 10 Supplementary school links and community 132 11 Impact on children s mainstream education.

4 146 12 Conclusion .. 167 13 National participation 170 14 The feasibility of assessing the Impact of Supplementary schooling on pupil Attainment and other issues .. 171 15 References .. 186 16 Appendices .. 192 8 Tables Table Selecting the sample from the NRC database 13 Table Response by NRC membership 15 Table The case study Schools 17 Table Geographical spread of the case study Schools 17 Table Interviews/ focus groups in the case study Schools 20 Table Interviews with other groups 21 Table Subjects taught by case study Schools 45 Table Mother tongue languages taught in Schools 46 Table Number of pupils in Schools by age 54 Table How long pupils typically attend the school , by number of years the Schools has been in operation 55 Table Hours of attendance per week by age 56 Table Funding sources 74 Table Total income received each year from all funding sources.

5 By size of school 75 Table school costs in last academic year 77 Table Number of paid and voluntary teaching staff in Schools 81 Table How long teaching staff typically remain at the school 82 Table Minimum qualification level for teaching staff 86 Table Proportion of teaching staff with CRB checks 88 Table How pupils are grouped into classes 92 Table Hours of homework per week by age 97 Table Number of mainstream Schools linked to Supplementary Schools 130 Table Mother tongue languages taught in Schools 220 Table Regional distribution of Schools in the sample frame and responding sample 224 Table Estimated national participation rates for pupils aged 5 to 16 226 Figures Figure Types of Supplementary Schools 44 Figure Types of culture and heritage teaching 47 Figure Faiths taught in Schools 48 Figure Subjects taught in Schools 49 Figure Exams and levels coaching provided for 50 Figure Other activities provided by the school 51 Figure Ethnic communities served by the Schools 52 Figure Proportions of pupils attending all recommended sessions 57 Figure How long Schools have been in operation 69 Figure Premises used for Supplementary Schools 71 Figure Factors that affect the level of fees 76 Figure Teacher recruitment issues for Schools 83 Figure Teacher retention issues for Schools 85 Figure Proportion of teachers with UK Qualified Teacher

6 Status (QTS) 87 Figure Types of quality assurance procedures in place 89 Figure Proportion of teachers who have taught overseas 90 Figure Number of pupils typically in a class 94 Figure Extent to which parents are involved in school 123 Figure Links with other Supplementary Schools 129 Figure Types of links with mainstream Schools 131 Figure Types of mainstream school information held about individual pupils 133 9 Executive summary The Institute for Policy Studies in Education (IPSE) at London Metropolitan University and the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) were commissioned by The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in February 2009 to: map out the provision of Supplementary Schools , including participation rates (through a survey of Schools ); extrapolate the unique contribution Supplementary Schools play in the education sector (through a literature review and case studies).

7 And scope the feasibility of conducting a quantitative study examining the Impact of Supplementary Schools on Attainment Methodology The research had four main strands: a literature review survey of Supplementary Schools case studies conducted in 12 Supplementary Schools scoping study The literature review primarily focused on national studies relating to the establishment of Supplementary Schools , including reasons for their existence, location, the ethnic communities they serve, the range of provision offered, perceived benefits, how they are funded and staffed. A key aim of the literature review was to define what is meant by Supplementary school and what such a school constitutes.

8 A survey was conducted of 1,136 Supplementary Schools in England by means of a postal survey with computer-assisted telephone interviews offered as an alternative. The survey was completed by 301 Supplementary Schools , achieving a response rate of 26%. The main aim of the survey was to map and profile Supplementary Schools in England, so as to better comprehend the type of provision offered by Supplementary Schools , the communities served, Supplementary school costs and funding, organisational issues (including premises, staff number of staff employed and level of qualifications, links with Supplementary and mainstream Schools ), pupil characteristics and attendance patterns.

9 An additional purpose of the survey was to use the information obtained about pupils to give an indication of the proportion of pupils who are reached by this form of educational provision across the whole country. Case studies of 12 Supplementary Schools located across England were conducted. The case studies covered areas similar to the survey. However, they sought to provide more in-depth information about Supplementary Schools catering in particular for minority ethnic communities who have tended to underachieve in mainstream education in national assessment examinations. A key objective of the case study research therefore was to ascertain the factors which Supplementary school staff, pupils, parents, community groups and local authorities identified as benefiting the children that attend Supplementary Schools .

10 Equally important was a concern to understand respondent perceptions of Supplementary school Impact on children s experiences in mainstream Schools and their educational 10outcomes. Thus children s attitudes to learning, attendance, their behaviour and Attainment patterns in mainstream Schools were of interest. So too were the nature of links that Supplementary and mainstream Schools had developed with each other. The case study research sought to learn more about the extent of parental involvement in Supplementary Schools , together with why Supplementary school teachers choose to work in these Schools and their subsequent experiences. Where teachers also taught in the mainstream sector they were asked to compare their teaching experiences, and any differences they encountered in pupil attitudes and engagement, with the two sectors.